Instagram shopping service now available in UK

Instagram’s shopping service, which allows brands and retailers to sell products directly from Instagram posts, is being rolled out in the UK.

The feature has been available in the US since last October and has already been trialled in the UK with a beta-launch involving Marks & Spencer, Heidi Klein swimwear, and Mahabis slippers. Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Spain will also now be able to use the shopping feature.

Previously Instagram was not a very practical platform for retailers to promote products as it was only possible to insert one clickable link in the profile section of the Instagram account.

The shopping feature makes it possible to directly link up to five products per post or 20 products per multi-image post. Information such as price and product details can also be added.

The service is free to business users and available on organic (not sponsored) posts. Posts with shoppable links will be identified to users with a shopping bag icon.

Instagram head of business Jim Squires said: “People come to Instagram every day to discover and buy products from their favourite businesses. We want that to be a seamless experience. Whether it’s a local artisan, florist or clothing store, shopping directly on Instagram has never been easier.”